Marxist Perspectives Reflected in Ngugi wa Thiong'O's Petals of Blood and Devil on the Cross

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the class exploitation and proletariat struggle in Ngugi wa Thiong’O’s Petals of Blood and Devil on the Cross. Both novels carry the same issues; they portray African struggle to escape from exploitation of capitalism and neo-colonialism. Thus, the objectives of this study are: 1) analyzing the class exploitations described in Ngugi wa Thiong’O’s Petals of Blood and Devil on the Cross, 2) analyzing the struggles of proletariat against neo-colonialism and imperialism described in Ngugi wa Thiong’O’s Petals of Blood and Devil on the Cross, and 3) analyzing the final result of proletariat struggle in both novels based on the concept of Marxism. The theory used in this study was theory of class exploitation and class struggle of Marxism. Hence, the collected data were analyzed qualitatively by focusing on the Marxist perspectives. The findings of this study were elaborated into three points, consisted of class exploitation, proletariat struggle and the final result of proletariat struggle. First, the finding shows that the story depicted in both novels significantly reflects Marxist perspectives about class exploitation. Second, the story depicted in both novels significantly reflects Marxist perspectives about proletariat struggle. Third, the reflection of Marxist visions about proletariats’ accomplishment is presented differently in both novels. In Petals of Blood, the collective struggle of proletariat was ended before they achieved their vision of the proletariat dictatorship, resulted perpetual proletariat dreams to achieve a classless society. Contrary, in Devil on the Cross, the collective struggle of proletariat was ended up with a victory portrayed by the freedom achieved by the proletariat and the death of capitalist leaders. This last finding shows that story depicted in Petals of Blood does not reflects Marxist perspectives especially the idea of the dictatorship of proletariat while the story depicted in Devil on the Cross reflects Marxist perspectives especially the concept of a dictatorship of proletariat as a golden way to manifest classless society. Overall, both novels denote a typical color and character of struggle that inspire people to realize that total liberation is a right of every human being. It is a must to keep a nation for being away from imperialist-neo-colonialism supposed to achieve a real nationalism. There is no more beautiful than a life without “Exploitation de l’ homme par l’ homme and exploitation de nation par nation”.